1874 Liberty Seated Half Dollar. Arrows. Proof-64 (PCGS). CAC. OGH.This is a deeply and richly toned specimen dressed in a blend of steel-blue, lavender-charcoal, olive-copper and antique silver, the obverse the more evenly patinated of the two sides. Iridescent undertones of cobalt blue and salmon pink shine forth nicely at direct lighting angles. Appreciably mirrored in finish, and fully struck throughout, this handsome near-Gem is sure to have no difficulty finding its way into a Proof type set. The omnibus Act of February 12, 1873, among many other things, mandated a slight weight increase for the half dollar from 12.44 grams to 12.50 grams. Historians have mistakenly called this legislation the "Crime of 1873," although as John Sherman and John J. Knox have explained in detail in their reminiscences, this particular piece of legislation was one of the most carefully studied in American coinage history. It was only later, as the price of silver fell, that it was retroactively criticized, various legislators said they did not have the opportunity to review it, and so on. Still this nickname remains and is commonly seen, even in modern numismatic publications. Returning to the 1874 half dollar, as in 1853 to 1855, the Mint felt that an identifying feature was required to distinguish those pieces produced to the new weight standard from their predecessors. Arrows flanking the date were again used for this purpose, but only for two years -- 1873 and 1874 -- and no attempt was made to modify the reverse design as had been done in 1853. The Arrows, Motto half dollar type resulted in just two Proof issues and, with a greater mintage of 700 coins as opposed to 500 pieces, the 1874 is encountered more frequently in todays market than the 1873 Arrows. The type as a whole is challenging, however, and the vast majority of survivors grade no finer than Proof-64, although the present specimen is finer than most that we have encountered at this grade level.
